Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: When Darkness Collides
by Omega Zekrom
Summary: Two Pokemon strive to become the best explorers in the world. But behind the seemingly serene landscape lies dormant terrors ready to be released upon the land. Part one of a three arc series.
1. Prologue: Keldeo

**All right! This is the prologue of the PMD fic. I originally planned for it to be PMD3, but the game was then released. So...oh well. This is set in a different place; ie not from the previous games. **

**Me: anyone want's to do the disclaimer?**

**Keldeo: I'll do it! Omega Zekrom does not own pokemon in any way, other then the games she already has! *bows***

* * *

-Bruma Forest-

_I can sense your fear!_

"Nononono…" A blue figure, a Keldeo, darted past numerous charred trees. His hooves dug up the soft loamy soil underfoot. The red fur on his head whipping back in the wind, while his blue tail trailed back almost horizontally. Roaring blue flames surrounded him, hounding him.

_All shall fall…_

He remembered the dark shadow, tattered wings trailing behind him. Flame after billowing flame erupted from his gaping maw. Anything the ghostly flames touched burned into a dirty black ash. A curious glistening black substance was left behind. The Keldeo leapt over an overgrown gully and weaved between trees. Branches whipped at his face.

"Aaah!" He tripped over a hidden rock but quickly regained balance.

_To the devouring…_

He had watched helplessly as the rogue deity burned his village to wind-blown ashes. Their wavering screams had been the last thing he had heard. Only their jet-black hooves remained, miraculously left behind. The cacophony of forest sounds which normally rang out had immediately ceased, sensing the danger.

_Flame!_

A speeding jet shot down from the sky, searing through the air with a piercing wail. Keldeo leapt to his side, narrowly missing the ghostly flames already surrounded him. They seemed to grow sharp teeth, fangs and claws, howling like a large undulating pack of Houndooms. Their eyes glowed like miniature suns, deep-set in their burning skulls, glowing with the thrill of the hunt. They hounded him relentlessly towards the craggy mountain range which surrounded his home forest. A string of vehement curses floated down from the sky. Thunder rumbled as a thick curtain of dark grey clouds knitted themselves together, hanging ominously over the forest. A shard of crackling lightning momentarily lit up the sky, illuminating the darkening sky, as well as the colossal being hovering in it. Curved half-moon bands circled its neck and legs. Six stumpy legs stretched out from beneath its light grey body, golden claws honed to the point of cutting stone. A curved head crest lay on its forehead, shadowing deep-set blood red eyes which nestled in swaths of darkness, glowing like rubies. Tiny pinpricks of black seemed to suck in all the light around them. Ragged wings stretched out from its sides, motionless as if its great bulk was not held up by the shadowy wings, but by the very air itself. Crimson claws tipped the wings, the exact same shade as the malevolent eyes which were staring at Keldeo.

"No…No!" Giratina swooped down, mouth agape. Wisps of blue started to gather around its mouth and swirled into a vortex. Small cobalt sparks formed around the blue and white vortex, and were absorbed by the swirl of energy. The vortex grew in strength and pulsed slightly like a living thing, trees surrounding Keldeo rustled and bent their crowns towards it, sucked inwards by the sheer pressure. Shrieking, it expanded and filled the space between the Renegade Pokemon's horns, pulsing again before shooting outwards with a growling roar.

_ Griseous Flame! _

Keldeo raised a hoofed foot in front oh his face, eyes wide with fear, his cream body trembling beneath the immense ball of flames. Even now his sense of duty was stronger than the fear which had him trembling like a newborn. Whispering quiet prayers to the First Guardian, the first Keldeo to take on the responsibility of looking after Shimmering Spring, he straightened and stared at the hungry fire.

"We stand tall, as Rangers! Sacred Sword!"

A blinding white arc curved out of the trees, crashing into the Griseous Flame with an explosive force. The sphere caved in and imploded, swallowed by its own strength. An aqua blue figure landed nimbly on the ground in front of Keldeo, while a two other Pokemon, green and grey, galloped and stopped beside him, standing in a protective arc.

"Giratina! Why do you come to our world? What purpose do you have here in the land of the living?" the blue figure questioned the hulking titan, fixing it with a commanding glare which would have reduced most Pokemon to quivering wrecks. However the Renegade Pokemon did not even seem to acknowledge the challenge. The tuft of white fur on his chest puffed up in anger. Two slightly twisted yellow horns protruded from his forehead. The quadruped on his left had light green fur, with long horizontal horns stretching from her leaf green skull, ending in dull points and pink tipped leaves flicked silently on both sides of her neck. Her long lean legs ended in a grey hoof. The third Pokemon, on the right, had smooth slate grey fur, with amber eyes which glowed with fury. Thick angular brown horns the colour of loamy soil jutted out from his dark forehead. He huffed quietly, muscular legs sinking into a stout battle stance and pointed his sharp horns forwards, their tips glinting with dew and sweat. Keldeo stifled a gasp behind them. These were the Sacred Swordsmen: Terakion and Virizion, along with their leader Cobalion. They were the sworn protectors of the many Pokemon who lived in this world, and were revered by many to be their saviors during the Midnight War.

"You of all Pokemon should know. You were there during the battle when Dusk and Dawn clashed. You fought for what you believed in; for what you thought was justice. When the battle ended, all you could think of was the damage done to the land. You did not see the true result of that battle. However, I, along with those who did not wish to choose sides, did." Giratina screeched, its eyes shone with rage.

"I thought only those who lived in the land of light would perish, leaving me to pick up their scattered remains back in my realm. Yet as the battle wore on, the large influx of energy created had no where to go, and chose to surge into my world, my domain, creating a chocking haze which fouled my home.

"You think _you_ are the ones who were wronged that day, you think _you_ were the ones who suffered the greatest loss. Lies!" The enraged titan's voice rose to an ear-splitting crescendo. But suddenly, its voice softened, and took on a cold and menacing edge.

"The general proposed a deal. And this time, I accepted it." A dark purple energy sifted out of the ground and pulled itself away from the shadows of the trees, shimmering like a morning mist. Stretching up, the energy engulfed Giratina in an evil aura, wrapping him in the darkness.

"I'll tell you what I want! I want revenge! Revenge for all you have done to me! Revenge for the deeds and the oath which have kept me anchored in my home! Revenge on those who seek destruction!" The energy darkened and swirled, covering Giratina in a sphere of shadows. Its body lengthened, the six legs on either side of its torso stretched out and narrowed into giant spikes, tipped with gold. Its tattered wings split apart into six tentacles, with small red, barbed claws tipping each 'wing'. The curved horns on its head formed mandible-like jaws, the edges of which jutted out of the sphere of energy.

"Griseous Flame!" Again, the sparks of pure blue and white ignited between its jaws. However, the vortex seemed to grow continuously. Larger, larger, larger…!

"HURRY!" Virizion bumped Keldeo back, a leaf green light glowing on her forehead. "There's a cave across the lake." The Colt Pokemon spun around and galloped towards the lake. Behind him, a burning shockwave spread out, almost knocking Keldeo off his feet. As the trees opened to form the shore, he saw the sparkling lake stretch out in front of him. Leaping high, he somersaulted onto the lake surface. Yet instead of sinking, crystal clear water shot out from his hooves, countering his weight. Exhilaration swept through his whole being. Being a Keldeo had its ups and downs, but walking on water? A definite pro.

Turning back, it caught a glimpse of a deer-like Pokemon nimbly weaving in and out of the trees, while Terakion, bear-like in appearance, had his head down and charged forward, kicking up a cloud of dust like a rampaging bull. But the Iron Will Pokemon was nowhere to be seen. Looking down, he saw schools of water-type Pokemon surge forward in a dense shoal, regardless of species. Red-stripe Basculin swam beside their hated Blue-stripe counterparts without flashing so much as a hatred filled glare at each other. Carvanha from the many packs which staked claim to separate sections of the lake and its tributaries mixed with one another, along with Sharpedo and many, many more Pokemon.

A strange chill swept through Keldeo. It felt as if malevolent eyes were boring into his back. Risking a hasty glance behind, Keldeo almost stumbled in mid-stride. Sweeping low, the Renegade Pokemon chased after the fleeing forest-dwellers. A cloak of all consuming darkness consisting of the ghost types Giratina had brought with it to attack the forest trailed behind it.

Just in the nick of time - thank Arceus – the cavern mouth yawned open a distance in front. Inside, Cobalion stood rigid like a statue, his gaze staring defiantly at the mass of darkness rising up over the horizon like a black tsunami. Virizion darted in, her swift feet bringing her right to the back of the tunnel, followed by Keldeo. Terakion trundled in as well but swerved around and halted just inside of the cave mouth.

"It's ready!" Cobalion nodded solemnly.

"Go now last Guardian. Run like the north wind to the back of the cave. No matter what you might hear, continue. We will hold the Titan off for your sake, and for the sake of the world."

"But what about you?" Keldeo hesitated; he did not want to abandon his last remaining link to his home.

Cobalion almost smiled. "We have our own ways young colt. Go! Quickly! We shall buy you as much time as is possible!" Nodding, Keldeo galloped into the pitch black darkness. Just as his footsteps faded, Giratina reached the cave mouth. "This is between you and me, Traitor!" Giratina's eyes glowed even brighter.

"You can't stop the flow of time fool! Few have the power to turn back the tide, but none have the strength to hold the t-"

"Earthquake!" Terakion chose that moment to rear up on his hind legs and smash his full weight onto the rocky ground. Large fissures spread out from underneath him, branching out towards Giratina. The Cavern Pokemon smirked when he saw the Renegade Pokemon's pupils widen in disbelief. Stalactites and the cave ceiling in general shuddered and fell in large chunks, right onto its skull. Screeching, it quickly disintegrated into rolling shadows and evaded the attack, yet also forced to retreat out of the cave.

* * *

Keldeo ran on, dripping stalactites and metre tall stalagmites whizzing past him. A distance in front, Virizion stood in front of a swirling whirlpool of white light, mysteriously formed in the middle of an odd roughly circular rock formation. The suction of the vortex caused the fur on her back to stand and stretch towards the swirl despite her standing almost 2 metres away. "A friend of Pokemon once used this very passage to escape from the enemy which was chasing him. We never saw nor heard from him ever again. If luck is with us, we will see the young Guardian soon, too soon…" Virizion mumbled to no one in particular, Shaking her leaf green fur, she nodded towards the vortex. "This is one of several energy springs, the second type which was never mentioned in your studies. Like the evolutionary springs, this is a place where the threads of life lie thick, overlapping one another, all of them linking back to the Original One's realm. They shall guide you brave soul, but how they carry out their purpose will depend on the path you take- and your destiny." Sighing slightly, the Grassland Pokemon locked gazes with Keldeo, her amber eyes staring right into his dark blue ones. "Farewell."

Keldeo lowered his head in silent respect, then galloped into the massive swirl of energy. It felt as if he was walking on air. Surprisingly, he could not feel the suction which had affected Virizion. Flashes of long, cord-like substances caught his attention, but when he turned to look at them properly, they had disappeared- merged into the wall of the passage.

A faint itch started at his hooves, then rose up to his back. Keldeo tossed his mane uncomfortably, but ignored it. But when the tingling increased in intensity to something akin to needles poking at his flesh, he huffed and whimpered quietly, yet he still struggled forwards.

Tendrils of energy rose out of the passage wall and slammed into him with the force of a rampaging Tauros. Keldeo sighed, the last breath of air in his lungs expelled quickly and painlessly. Slumping to the ground, the Colt Pokemon closed his eyes as the world faded into a dark, empty black.

* * *

**Alright! End of the prologue. Keldeo won't appear for awhile yet, but he _will_ play an important part in the overall story.**

**Oh good Arceus, hints are raining down already. I gave the Sacred Swordsmen genders, but not Giratina for a reason. I also know Giratina isn't some lord of destruction. _I know that_. That's all from me. I'm accepting OCs. **

**OC template**

**Name:**

**Species:**

**Gender (preferably not genderless):**

**Team (if any):**

**Special features (if any):**

**Personality:**

**Moves (optional):**

**This was beta'd by mangaaddict26. I'm still looking for a storyline beta who knows his/her/its (just kidding) stuff though. R&R guys. **


	2. Chapter 1: Transformation

**Hey guys, this is the first official chapter since the previous one was the prologue. It's currently almost 2 in the morning, so I'm just gonna get this done with. Oh, and footnotes will be marked with a (#1) /(#2) etc. Check the A/N below to see the notes.**

**Azura: Hey! You didn't even do a proper intro last time!**

**Me: *Death stares***

**Azura: Oookaay... well if you put it that way... Disclaimer: ****Omega Zekrom does not own Pokemon, but the OCs are her's. **

* * *

_He's stirring._

_But how? The hatchling should nott be conscious yet. His power still manifests in this place._

_But maybe he _is_ the one? It has been decades since…_

_Quiet, the human wakes._

* * *

?'s POV

"Where am I?" shaking my head, I slowly opened my eyes and crawled to my feet. Swirls of light met my awestruck gaze. Resembling strands of an Ariados' web spun about lazily. They merged and split, changing colors and fading from view.

"I see you have awoken." a soft, yet somehow infinitely loud, voice drifted from somewhere behind me. I turned but couldn't see anyone.

"Who's there?" A shimmering figure floated into view. It was small, no bigger than me, yet an air of undisputable authority seemed to emanate from it. It seemed to be quite agile and had long glowing "claws" poking out from the ends of its hands and feet. A long flexible tail flicked behind it. Long strands of the rope-like substance wrapped themselves around the figure. From its voice I could vaguely tell it was a female.

"This is the Gate of Origin, a place which lies on the edge of the impenetrable fog banks which surrounds this land." Just as she finished, another shimmering form appeared beside her. This figure had a sloping back, medium length back-facing ears and a bushy tail. Strands of colored rope-like substance surrounded the newcomer as well. However the newcomer's light strands were thick and light blue, and hovered around his form in a protective weave while the first one's light strands were thin, sensitive and were a mix of white and light pink, and mingled within her form. The similarity between both strands gave off the same vibe; strong and determined.

I whistled. "Amazing. It's like I'm standing in a giant ball of light," seeing the two figures flinch I hastily added "In a good way of course." Did I say something wrong? Were they offended?

"It is fine." How did-

"We speak through telepathy. This also allows us to sense the-"

"Thoughts at the top of your head even before you say them!" Pink giggled. The temperature suddenly dropped by a few degrees. Don't ask me how I knew. Let's just say that the way his (I was sure Blue was a male) light strands turned taut and darken by a few shades conveyed the message well enough. Blue nodded at his companion, who spun around and glided off.

"I am one of the Gate Keepers. My duty is to guard the gate and to assess those who find their way here." Blue's voice took a solemn turn as he stared at me. "Child, you should not be here. This place is not for those who seek a new life. The land is sick. All your presence there will do is to increase its burden. But alas I must still test you, as is my duty,"

"What do you see?" I stared at him, confused. Seeing my puzzled expression, the Gate Keeper gestured at the surrounding air.

"Lights. Lots of different colored lights like a fast aurora, just… all around, I guess. Oh, and your lights are a nice light blue, or a rather darker shade, more navy blue, now, while your companion's ones were light pink." As I said 'light pink' the other Gate Keeper returned.

* * *

_Impossible! The hatchling can see…_

_ I told you! This is the one! We have waited for so long already. If only..._

_ True, but we have to be sure. Who is to say this is not just another agent from the Outside? Pass him the Sol Gem, and let its acceptance change the weave._

* * *

I watched the two Gate Keepers mumble with each other, before Pink trod forward and glided towards me. A clear, round crystal lay in her hand. "Touch the Sun (#1) and let your aura flow into the stone." I stretched out my hand but hesitated. Pink nodded encouragingly. I took in a deep breath and lay my right hand on the stone. It was cold to touch and felt brittle. I had a sudden urge to say my name.

"Ray." As if responding to the sound of my voice, the stone grew warm underneath my hand, and pulsed gently like a heart. A green mist lifted off my hand and hovered above it, before surging into the crystal. Inside the crystal ghostly images flickered and took shape. Armored beings holding blades almost as tall as themselves, barren battlefields, the same battlefields dark with blood as black clouds formed over them, clashing at the centre above a violent bloodbath as soldiers slashed swords and other weapons at their enemies…

"Aaah!" I screamed. It felt as if hundreds of needles had pierced my skin and taken root in my flesh. A crimson liquid trickled down and soaked the crystal.

_The Sun sees you; it senses your true motives; what you believe in. You have been recognized by it, and are now bonded to it in both blood and spirit. Take good care of it. _Blue's voice echoed in my head, but I could barely register it. The roots from the crystal seemed to grip my head in an unbreakable vice. The agony I felt was worse than ever before. I instinctively tried to grip my head in my hands, but only my left arm was still under my control.

"Open the gate! The stars have set the path for you to follow!" both beings shouted out in sync, their voices melding into one.

I screamed in pain and saw flashes of scenes and unidentifiable images whiz pass my vision. Black dots filled my eyes and I succumbed to the darkness.

* * *

-Enigma Valley-

_It was getting dark._

A green figure hefted a canvas sack up on one shoulder and trudged up the slope. The light green scales which paved their way along the gentle curve of her back, the thick dark green tail swiping the ground and her piercing, black pupils in the sea of glowing yellow marked her out as a Treecko. The sky above her was dyed a light pink tinted with streaks of red and orange. The blazing sun was already halfway through its descent, barely peeking out from under the mountain range, the colossal Ridge, a of soaring mountains and diving valleys which parted the land into two. Behind the curtain of light, the waning moon and its accompanying stars were already taking shape, and fading into existence. To most, dusk would be a sight to behold – if you didn't have to worry about the fierce shades which invaded the once peaceful glade.

"Too far…" Treecko muttered curses under her breath which would have made even the battle-hardened Blaziken squawk. She had ventured into the forest above the valley which she called home to scavenge for berries, as well as other edible food like apples and seeds. A brown pouch hung at a jaunty angle from her hip and was bulging with some of the more useful items (oran berries, reviver seeds, etc), while a simple flute carved from a piece of dark wood peeped out from a small pouch on the other side. Foolishly she had forgotten that the winter months were fast approaching and that the days were slowly, but surely, shortening. This time, misjudging the time (pun _definitely_ not intended), would very likely cost her her life.

"Bzzz…ZZEEEEW!" A sharp beam of emerald light cleaved thorough the pink clouds, cloaking the rocky border of the valley's sheer walls with vibrant green flames, flickering like marsh lights. Above the wavering flames, lights lit up the darkening sky and danced across the heavens.

"Auroras." She breathed. The auroras were only seen at the Northern Forests, deep in the heart of the Frozen Lands, right at the peak of the chilly ice-capped mountains found there. The auroras beat a slow tempo and flowed, mirroring the green flames which raced across the land.

Just as quickly as they appeared, the auroras shifted and swerved towards the Ridge, disappearing into the craggy mountains in the distance. Treecko skirted past deep gullies and clambered up a large oak. Leaping from branch to branch, she got closer and closer to where the beam of light had touched ground.

The forest thinned and opened into a large meadow filled with shoulder height grass. Clambering to take a closer look, she saw that the grass had been miraculously spared by the fire. A red-orange form lay in a circle of crushed grass, unmoving. A small emerald stone glowed softly in his hand. A dark streak speckled with rich gold dots ran through the centre of the stone, making the gem resemble a wide-open eye. The figure had orange scales, a cream colored belly, sharp claws and a tail tipped with flame. A painful scar stretched itself over his right eyelid.

Treecko started. Charmanders weren't very common around there. They lived in the Volcanic Wastelands south of the main region and rarely left their home.

The Charmander growled softly and stretched out and arm to push himself up. He rubbed his throbbing head and slowly opened his eyes.

"Where am I?" he chuckled and rotated his neck. "Heh, I just got a serious sense of déjà vu there." The Charmander looked curiously at Treecko; Treecko stared back, meeting his eyes.

"This 'ere's the edge of Enigma Valley." A note of hostility tinged her voice. After all, she had no reason to trust the mysterious new arrival.

"Where's that? And who-what-are you?" Treecko frowned.

"Name's Azura. I'm a Treecko, _obviously_. Who are _you_?"

"I'm Ray. A human."

"You look like a perfectly normal Charmander to me."

* * *

Ray's POV

I ran to a nearby puddle and stared into it. An orange reptilian face stared back. Two tiny fangs stuck out from my upper jaw, while sky blue eyes reflected back my horror. Gasping, I reeled back as a small tongue of flame slipped out from my mouth. Collapsing onto the ground, I whimpered.

"A- I'm a Charmander?!" The Treecko's, Azura's, eyes softened. Stepping forward, she offered me a hand. Interesting enough, an off-white fabric wrapped itself around her left palm, its frayed edges tucked into the layers below her claws.

"Come on. You most probably don't have anywhere else to stay, so why not come with me? The village is just past this cliff."

"What happened?" I eyed the hand shyly before moving to take it and pull myself up. The hand abruptly shot back.

"None of yer business kid." The gruff edge in her voice returned. "Come on. We need to get moving." Suddenly a noxious stench wafted over. Azura flinched and grabbed my arm, pulling towards the rocky terrain in front and behind a jagged boulder, jerking me to my knees.

"Wha-" I started to cry out indignantly, but a forest green hand clamped itself over my mouth and held it shut. I scrabbled at the claws but her hand wouldn't move.

"Quiet, unless you _want_ to get your soul sucked out of you." Her voice lowered ominously. Hissing, she crouched down further, her dark pupils narrowing alarmingly. She took back her hand

"Wait here." She hissed. Pulling back her hand, she stole a glance past the boulder, before immediately recoiling, as if she had been struck. A single word slipped out from her mouth. A word filled with more vehemence than I thought was possible. "Shades." I shivered. That didn't sound like anything I wanted to meet in a dark alley, or anywhere for that matter.

"We'll have to make a run for it. I know this place like the back of my hand, follow close." Azura placed a hand on the rock wall behind me and muttered something, before wriggling into a small crevice which I did not notice before. Putting all my faith into her, I took a deep breath and followed the Treecko into the shadowy crack.

* * *

**#1: the Soul Gem was modelled after the ribbon the main character gets right at the beggining of the game in PMD2. 'Sun' refers to the fact that 'Soul' sounds a lot like 'Sol' which is latin for sun.**

**Granted, this is a bit short for my taste. It was originally supposed to include the first dungeon of this fic, but like I mentioned it's kinda late now and I have to go to school tomorrow. I'm accepting OCs and dungeons. Here's the template again for those who didn't see it.**

**OC template**

**Name:**

**Species:**

**Gender (preferably not genderless):**

**Team (if any):**

**Special features (if any):**

**Personality:**

**Moves (optional):**

**Mangaaddict26 didn't beta this one, and I'm still looking for an official beta (she does grammar). Well, R&R, and happy late Christmas! *Yawns***


	3. Chapter 2: Duel Above The Valley Floor

**Me:I kinda felt bad for cutting you guys off there, so... here's the second part. *checks time* wow, finished this at 4 in the morning. Name was inspired by LugiaDialga's RBY remix called Duel on the Dancefloor. Disclaimer anyone?**

***silence***

**Me:... okay... well I don't own Pokemon. I'm sure you don't either. **

* * *

-Boulder Cliff-

Ray's POV

I was starting to regret following, no wait let that be dragged by, the haughty Treecko into the cramped crevice. Cursing my luck, I slowly entered a large chamber. Shadows flicked across the domed ceilings and high-pitched shrieks could be heard echoing around the chamber. One of the shadows detached itself from the dark mass and darted down, spitting out a barrage of clicks. I froze, staring blankly at the hostile form.

Whumph. The shadow screeched as Azura's foot made contact with its body. It tumbled backwards, somersaulting before landing in a pile of pebbles and sand. It had a blue body, two long and thin tails trailed behind its main body. Purple membrane stretched themselves over finger-like spokes to form wings. Its eyeless head was also tipped with two large ears which swiveled weakly. Azura turned around and nodded at me before sprinting off, her arms held out behind her and feet kicking up dust.

I raced after her, my small legs moving in a blur to mach her speed. Azura knocked out any Pokemon who got in our way, blazing a path forward in the treacherous cave. Talking about treacherous, the walls seemed to breathe like a living creature, shifting slightly even as I thought this. Sometimes the rocks would move ever so slightly and trip me. I swear I hear a soft chuckle every time.

Dodging a pile of groaning rocks, I could not help but pity the heaps of defeated Pokemon which Azura left in her wake. Most of the "victims" bore white claw marks on their skin. A trio of Geodude was even chipped and lay in their own pile of broken rocks. All I had to do was to knock away the occasional Zubat from the air, or silence a partially conscious Geodude.

I rounded a corner and nearly bumped into Azura. She had her bandaged right hand on the crumbling rock wall. I opened my mouth to speak, but the Wood Gecko Pokemon held out her left hand. Creeping closer, I stood beside her, my breath rasping in my throat. Staring at the rocky surface, I realised her hand was glowing a muted blue. When she removed her hand, a shallow imprint was left on the wall.

Azura's POV

Digging into my pouch, I placed two Oran berries, an apple, a Pecha Berry and lo and behold, a Reviver Seed on a small natural ledge. I murmured under my breath, pushing my palm into the stone.

"Shield us as we crawl through your rocky heart. I give you my thanks, and may you punish the foul demons which follow us as you see fit." I pulled my hand back and thumped my right fist over my left shoulder, then opened my fist and crossed it across my chest. That was a gesture the inhabitants of the valley did. It was often used to end a prayer or to represent trust and belief.

"What did you do?" The fool of a Charmander, oh I'm sorry, _human_, just got on my nerves. Didn't he know not to question anyone when they were FREAKING RUNNING FROM SOUL-SUCKING DEMONS?!

"Just follow me." I managed to say through gritted teeth. I stepped back and dashed off confidently, dodging yet another Zubat. Before I had removed my hand, the dungeon told me how to escape. Yes, the _dungeon _told me. Why did you think I was talking to a rock wall with my palm on the surface eh?

"This way!" I swerved past several corners and took a sharp left. I could hear the Charmander panting a short distance behind me. Good for him; at least he was keeping up, a cause to be mildly impressed. Although something I didn't understand was that despite running for his life, he still held that interesting crystal in his hand with a death grip.

My dilated pupils caught a slight change in light levels ahead. Ducking to avoid a rock tossed by a Geodude, I put in an extra burst of speed and silently thanked the dungeon for giving me the map. The tunnel opened to a small clearing of flat rocks. A tall spire of rock jutted out of the ground. This was the only accessible way into the valley. Although it looked steep, a narrow pathway wound its way up to the peak of the mountain and down the other side where generations of villagers and explorers alike have marked out a route.

Low pitched hissing drifted towards me from the dark tunnel. My heart pounded in my chest. This had to be the worst day ever. I grabbed the Fire Lizard Pokemon from where he was resting against a tall boulder and pulled him to his feet. Of course it would be easier to just leave him there, but… better not to think of the alternative.

Ray's POV

We half climbed, half crawled up the path Azura had found. Outside, Geodude (again) and squawking Spearow assaulted us repeatedly. We took turns spitting flames and just whacking them out of the air. The occasional Machop which decided to poke its head out of the cave it was sleeping in were kicked right back in.

After what felt like hours, but was most probably closer to 45 minutes, we had reached the peak. The bag slung over Azura's back was only three quarters full since we had eaten some of the Oran Berries and Max Elixirs in the sack. I was panting harder than an Arcanine after a good chase. Scars ran down my body and dirt caked my orange scales. Even the Treecko seemed winded. Sweat streamed down her back and her leaf green scales were a shade of pale green, like dried leaves. Although all the confusing turns seemed the same to me, Azura never hesitated at the junctions. Instead she merely glanced down at the rocky ground and immediately chose a direction. I tried my best to follow her, but it was like attempting to catch a Duskull in the dark-almost impossible. I tightened my grip on the green stone. Something inside me instinctively told me not to drop it; not to let it go.

"Enigma Town is just up ahead." Azura breathed a sigh of relief. "Home…" I caught her whisper. Fingering the crystal, I smiled. Maybe that Treecko wasn't too bad. However the good mood was spoiled by the incessant hissing which crept up on us like an evil tide. Azura gave up and dumped the sack of berries onto the ground, then chose an unassuming seed from the pile in the sack and tossed it into her mouth. She darted in front of me and sunk into a protective stance, chewing the seed slowly the entire time.

Small purple flames poked up from the path we had came from. As the flames rose, I realised that they were linked to small white waxy bodies. A lump of wax drpped over their right eyes, so only a single bright yellow eye stared out from under the flames. They hissed softly in unison. Close-up, I realised the Litwick were actually repeatedly chanting a single word "Life… " they dragged out the '-fe' at the end, creating a soft hiss.

Foom! A stream of flames sprayed over the mass of Litwick. At least three of them reeled back from the shock, but five more slithered forward to take their place. Azura wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, spiting out small embers. _"Blast Seed." _She mouthed. Ah. I nodded in understanding. The Litwick which were hit shook their heads and glared in anger. Azura tossed me a handful of Blast Seeds to chew.

We alternately sprayed flames at the Litwick and struck them physically with our claws. But the Litwick were tough. They shook off our flames and merely giggled insanely whenever our strikes hit them. In fact, if I was not mistaken, their head-flames were actually_ larger_ then when they first caught up to us, and we were definitely weaker.

"AAAH!" I spun around. Three of the Litwick had cornered Azura. She had run out of Blast Seeds and the Litwick were crowding around her, not giving her a chance lash back at them. She backed away slowly, her back pressed to the rocks. The scary thing was that the Tree Gecko Pokemon was shivering with fear, her hands trembling as they scrambled feebly at the cracks.

"AZURA!"

Azura's POV

"AZURA!" I flinched when I heard my name. The Litwick in front of me snarled and jabbed forward. I had an innate fear of Shades, especially those which are part fire-type, ever since _that_ happened. I saw the Charmander rush forward, his tail flame bursting suddenly as he charged. He swung his tail at the Litwick, then turn and slash at them with his claws. I almost cheered when the Litwick slumped backwards.

"Nooo…" The fallen Litwick rose up, eye blazing as it moaned and slid forward. They hissed in rage and leapt at the Charmander, nearly dog piling him. The one he struck down stepped forward. The Fire Lizard Pokemon roared, pulling back his arm and plunged his claws into the walking Candle. The fist sunk into its white body. "Leave. Her. Alone."

The Litwick looked somewhat surprised, and then smiled a sick grin. It shrunk, and pulled the Charmander's arm further into its body. The purple flame on its head flared and split, half of it jumping forward to engulf him in purple fire. It then spewed a cloud of purple Smog at him. The Charmander's face paled as the point-blank-range move hit him, poisoning him. The flame on his tail spluttered, then started to flicker. One of Litwick which had cornered me shot forward and caught me with its stubby arms. The candle flame flared and swallowed me. It felt as if fire was licking at my flesh, licking away at the crisp remains until it reached my heart. It was cold, so cold it burned. I could feel part of my soul fight against the heart-wrenching cold, but fail and detached, struggling as it was sucked into the Shade. It was like _that_ all over again. The fear; the overwhelming sense of helplessness as everything was… was…

My barely conscious mind saw something leap up into the night sky, something which burned with the might of the sun. I heard a piercing roar, followed by a ball of fire which shot down from the sky like a shooting star, small cobalt sparks flying around it. The fireball crashed onto the peak, slamming into the Litwick. The shockwave created swept them off the mountain and back into the bowels of Boulder Cliff. The edge of the fireball jumped like a blue wall as a result of the force, cascading down in a cobalt wave, while the main body split into a compact spiral and dissipated with a yellow flash. A large figure crouched in the middle of the carnage, apparently unaffected by the damage he had done.

Small red sparks surrounded him, stinging his skin. He had a bright crimson beak which split into three spiky extensions on either side of his face, with a "V" shaped crest jutting up above it. Long beige feathers extended downwards, resembling hair, and formed a sleeveless "vest" on his chest. He was kneeling on one muscular knee, while his lean red arms angled slightly backwards for balance. Two brown wristbands made of rock wrapped around the grey part of his arms. They had a series of holes along the circumference and a regular toothed slit running on either side as well. A black eye patch was slung over one eye, and was remarkably still intact despite being surrounded by flames a few moments before. The Blaziken's other eye snapped open, revealing a yellow sclera and a bright blue iris.

The Blaziken leapt up from his crouch and landed between me and the Charmander. He then proceeded to swiftly roundhouse Blaze Kick the two feeding Litwick aside. "Azura! Get your friend out of here!" I opened my mouth to protest, but immediately closed it again when I saw his glare. Don't underestimate Flare. Although he only had one good eye, (don't even _think_ about asking him what happened to it) he was a good fighter. Maybe not up there with the aces, but good enough to win the annual championship held at the nearby town five times in a row.

I pulled myself to my feet and dragged myself to the unmoving lump. I placed a finger on his wrist. The Charmander's pulse was weak but regular. I hefted him onto my back and lashed him still using the drawstring of the sack. If I had a choice, I would bring both, but saving him seemed more important. Anyway, half of the stuff inside was incinerated after Flare touch-downed. I couldn't use the berries inside even if they weren't a pile of ashes. Nothing could cure the damage done by the Shades since they didn't do _damage_ like a normal attack. Instead they sort of devoured you from the inside, reducing you to a dead husk.

I clambered down the opposite side of the cliff face, using the tiny hooks in my hands and feet to stick to the rough natural rock. Once I reached the valley floor, I set off on a dead sprint to the Guild.

Normal POV

A Chandelure floated up the path, followed by ten more Lampent. The Chandelure scanned the burnt ground with his emotionless, pupil-less yellow eyes. The purple flames on his black body danced. "I thought this was going to be and easy job. Touch and go eh?"

"Yes, but I got wind of your conquest here." Flare stood up and turned to face the Chandelure.

The Chandelure shrugged. "Most unfortunate. It seems I will now have to dispose of you as well now. Then again, your soul seems _very_ interesting."

The Blaziken rolled his eyes. "At least you will be more of a challenge than those peons of yours over there." Flames spouted out of his wrists through the holes in the wristbands, cloaking them up till the elbows. "Shall we?" Leaping forwards, flames erupted from his ankles as well as he got ready to use an obvious Blaze Kick.

"Very well. It's time to feed." The Chandelure charged up a ball of fire in front of his head, which it then tossed at the Blaziken.

* * *

**That's the end. Cookies to those who know what move Flare used. Damn I love action scenes. I dare you to figure out what the event referred to by Azura is. OC sheet is on the previous two chapters, dungeons require no instructions, but include as much info as you can think of. FYI, Pokemon age at about the same rate as humans for this fic, exculding those who live for an esceptionally long time like legendaries. For the next chapter's A/N I'll include the OC details.**

**I'm out. Good night (or morning) guys.**


	4. Chapter 4: Enter, Enigma Valley

**From now on, I'll use bold for A/Ns.**

**Sorry for not updating for a whole half a year. *Begs for forgiveness* Writers block was an annoying - , and I sorta got addicted to Kingdom Hearts, along with RokuShion. Furthermore, I only got back my muse on the plane ride back from a trip overseas. :P If I lost any readers, I totally deserved it.**

** Anyway, back to the story, excuses aside. **

**Disclaimer: I do not Pokemon, only the storyline and my OCs. Tep belongs to Yami no Paladin. (I actually needed a pokemon for that role.)**

* * *

_-Somewhere west of the Ridge-_

_**Sound bite**_

_You have failed._

_I apologize,__ General. An intruder stepped in before I could reach the Fragments__,__ and-_

_DID I ASK YOU FOR THE __EVENTS__? Pay attention fool. Failures do not last long. _

_Yes, of course__… Please give me a second chance._

_A__ second__...__ CHANCE!? *whoosh*_

_Release me! Please!_

_*thump* Very well. But this time, YOU shall not lead. Step forward, Blackburn._

_*Tmp, tmp, tmp.* __Yes General?_

_Follow this fool back to find the Fragments.__ Prove to me that you are worthy of your rank. Fail, and your fate shall be as bad, if not WORSE than his._

_Very well, General. Your will shall be carried out accordingly._

* * *

-Enigma Valley, Storm Guild-

Azura's POV

I barely managed to carry Ray back to my room, bring him to my room and dump him (gently) onto the typical hay pallet which most Guild members slept on. Shao the Mienfoo patched up Ray as much as was possible, then started lecturing me about not staying out so late and other things besides. I kind off switched a few minutes into the talk, somewhere after the word "responsible". The gist of it was that we were the lucky ones. More often than not those who cross paths with a Shade just got their soul sucked right out, and without a soul, they died. Some say that instead of actually dying, they became Shades themselves. But either way, they were never heard from again.

But after she left, I couldn't just climb into my hammock and sleep, so I found myself nodding off beside Ray when Flare came back to the Guild sometime after midnight, maybe an hour or so after Ray and me. He was in a surprisingly better condition than me, with only some of his feathers singed.

"How's your friend?" Flare brushed aside the vine curtain and entered my room, kneeling beside me so as not to look over me. Technically, it was the Guild's storeroom, but Flare figured that since the other chambers were already taken, and I desperately needed a room after what _happened_ to my last one, the storeroom would do.

I glanced up, blinking away the sleep in my eyes. "He'll live. How 'bout you? What happened up there anyway? You almost woke up the whole village with your fireworks."

Flare looked away, something glinting in his eyes. "I'm… fine. Once the kid wakes up, bring him over to the study. Anytime would be fine," he straightened and turned, then continued, "Get some sleep. Skip your chores later; some of the other members can do them." I smiled. Flare was the Guild Master, and his word was law inside the hollowed out mountain which was the Guild. He could be strict, but there was also a kind heart inside for those who managed to break through the rocky exterior. He was like a father to me after… _that_.

I looked outside through my bleary eyes. The sky was still dark and wisps of clouds hung motionless in the air. The Charmander rolled over onto his side and moaned in pain, shivering in the cold night air. Sighing, I awkwardly pulled a piece of cloth which doubled as a blanket over him.

Clambering into the hammock which hung from two pieces of metal, I sleepily mumbled a half-hearted "Good night Ray." After tossing and turning for a long time, I finally felt myself nodding off.

Ray's POV

I felt something warm fall onto my scales. Shielding my eyes, I opened them. Sunlight streamed in from a window, illuminating dust motes in the air before it landed on me. I looked around, and found myself in a rocky chamber. A faint rustle made me look up. Azura stood at the entrance, a curtain of vines billowing around her.

"Time to wake up kid. Practically the whole Guild is waiting for you." Azura walked over and propped me up.

"Waiting for me? And what do you mean 'kid'! I'm as old as you are!" But I accepted her hand anyway.

"Experience wise, I'm older. The members want to hear about the Charmander who dodged death and spat at it in the face."

I snorted, "You can do that as well!"

"Apparently they want to hear it from you. You _did_ take the most damage anyway." I shrugged and stood up. As the blanket fell to the ground, I managed to get a look at myself. Someone had tied my right arm to a cast made from two parallel branches and a roll of bandages, while more bandages found their way all over my scales, especially around sore patches of raw flesh. I stepped out of the room and looked down the empty corridors. "And once you're done with storytelling, Flare wants to see you."

"Who's Flare?" Azura sighed.

"I'll introduce you to him later. Anyway-"

"GET BACK HERE YOU WORTHLESS LUMP OF COAL!" A jet of flame blazed a path of glowing sparks towards me. I ducked while Azura leapt back into the room. Wincing slightly as the fire burnt my back, I flinched when I saw a large hound bound around the corner. He had smooth curved horns on either side of his head and three grey bands on his back and two bands of cartilage on his ankles. A thin arrow-tipped tail flicked behind him menacingly, whipping sparks left in his wake into a frenzy. Oddly enough, a faint jingling sound could be heard between his growls.

I frowned in confusion. Who was that Houndoom talking about? My confusion was swiftly replaced with anger when I saw that the huge Dark Pokemon was actually chasing a small Tepig. The Tepig had the usual orange and black fur, but instead of black eyes, the fleeing Fire Pig had blue ones. A pale "x" shaped scar was etched into his flesh between his unusual blue eyes.

Azura stepped out of the room, stepping over the pile of ashes where the curtain used to be. The Tepig scrambled behind Azura, trembling in fear.

"Hidemehidemehidemehideme!" his words came out in a long string, melded together by terror. He crouched behind her, clinging closer when the Houndoom caught up. Azura's already fierce yellow eyes glowed aggressively, meeting the Houndoom's fiery pits evenly.

"GIVE ME THAT PILE OF GOOD-FOR-NOTHING ASHES!" the Houndoom panted.

I shifted in front protectively, but Azura brushed me aside with her arm. "Get out of the way," she grabbed the Tepig by the scruff of his neck and threw him at the feet of the Houndoom in a show of strength. "He's all yours Garmr."

I looked at her in disbelief. "What are you doing? That Houndoom's gonna kill him!"

Azura opened her mouth to reply, but Garmr beat her to it. "That _thing_ tied these ribbons into my fur while I was asleep! Give me one good reason not to kill him!" he barked. Lowering his head, I saw for the first time multiple pink ribbons tied to the fur between his shoulder blades and up his neck, previously hidden by the standing sleek hairs themselves, while a small bell was tied to his tail, which explained the jingle. Garmr grabbed the Tepig by his scruff (again) and looked up. The fire in his eyes had died somewhat, and was now replaced by fear.

"You're not going to… make me pay for that, are you?" he managed to say past a mouthful of squirming fur. I almost laughed. Apparently the guys here were afraid of Azura as well.

"Depends. I'm gonna need some material to make one again, and luckily your paws prevent you from tying stuff together…" Despite the *cough* great height difference, the Houndoom still managed to yelp and bound out of the doorway, his tail lowered and twitching between his hind legs in submission. I edged out behind him, forced out from the room by a well-aimed kick.

"So you passed out huh?" I had started up a conversation with a Houndour. The rest of the Guild had already left for the town square or for various dungeons to complete their daily missions. Only the young Houndour and some senior Guild members were left. We chatted for awhile while I waited for Azura to come out of her "pissed" state. We traded stories and I gleaned bits of information, mainly that his name was Fenris and that he had already been in the Guild for a few years along with his brother. Others include that the whole of Storm Guild was actually built into the valley wall, and that the all of the Guild members, along with the Guild Master, stayed inside the cliff, but graduated Guild Members could choose whether or not to continue staying in the Guild.

A few minutes later, a large black hound loped over, his tail twitching angrily. Following him was the Tepig, _his_ tail dipped in surrender.

"If you want the proper introduction, we're Team Inferno. I'm Gramr, Fenris here's older brother-"

"By three years!" Fenris yelped in protest, his gruff voice hitting a higher octave.

"By three years," Gramr rolled his eyes and nudged the downcast Tepig with a casual kick to his furry rump, "and this lump here is Bo."

"Hey." Bo waved dejectedly. We stared at each other, a heavy awkwardness hanging in the air, unsure of how to continue. Luckily Azura entered the main chamber then and saved us from the impending silence. Greeting the other team, she half led, half dragged me back into her room.

* * *

Azura's POV

Once inside, I threw a pouch attached to a thick piece of string onto the floor in front of Ray.

"Hold still Ray." I flexed my tendons and allowed energy to flow into my claws. Reaching back, I jerked forward and slashed at the bandage around his hand. The Charmander reeled back, and a small stone fell out of his hand. After he checked to ensure that I hadn't amputated his arm, he reached down to pick it up.

"Put the stone into the pouch. It'll be much more convenient, plus I don't want you to attract any unwanted attention. And before you ask, I got it from the market while you were still asleep." He slipped the gem into the pouch and I helped him to tie the strap around his neck. Next I covered the whole pouch with a green scarf.

"Don't tell me. You got that from the square as well." I rolled my eyes.

"Nooo, I found them in one of the boxes inside here." I gestured vaguely at the room, sarcasm heavy in my voice. "It's a storeroom. Members and non-members alike dump stuff here. If you're done, we can head over to the square."

* * *

-Enigma Town Square-

It was noon by the time we reached the Square. Various townsfolk either chatted with their friends or hung out in the shade, while the shopkeepers retreated to the cool interior of the stalls, only the tip of their heads were visible from the dark shadows cast by the harsh light above as they savoured the lull in their business granted by the glowing ball of flames above.

The Square was covered with grey slate tiles, emerald grass licking at the edges of the wide paths worn smooth by hundreds of wagon wheels, no doubt laden with goods from all corners of the continent. Ray gawped in wonder a short distance behind me, his tiny fangs visible for all to see.

"Heeey! Azura!" the Kecloan siblings called out, stepping out of the shade in their shop to greet me. "How goes the Guild?" the shiny one, Revol, waved. His sister, Es, dug around in a pile of goods before tossing an apple over her shoulder, turning with a grin on her face, even as she casually tossed another apple around in her hand.

"That'll be 25 poké for one, though I think your friend there might want one too." I caught the fruit easily, and rooted in my pouch for change. "Tell ya what. The other apple goes at half-price since you're such a good customer."

"Why not. Though I have a feeling you want info in return for that missing poké." I casually shined the apple on the countertop, feigning indifference.

"You got that right. But we know enough for now, so we'll just put the rest on credit." the brother said, tapping his head

I handed the coins to Revol, shining the apple on the countertop before crunching into it. Revol counted the coins with practiced ease, then nodded and held up two fingers. Es replied by throwing the fruit in her hand towards the daydreaming Charmander. Unfortunately for Ray, the well-aimed missile bounced off his reptilian skull and tumbled into the roadside dust. He recoiled from the hit and quite literally 'bit the dust', momentarily stunned.

Es chortled, "Strriiiikke one!" Pumping her fist with an ecstatic yell, earning her a tired glare from her brother. Helping Ray up, I couldn't help letting a grin leak through.

"Remind me to use you as a shield next time someone decides to chuck a missile at me."

"Very funny." Ray shot the Kecloan a death glare, but couldn't help smirking slightly, ruining the point of the glare entirely.

The rest of the trip went smoothly and generally uneventful, though there was a slight _squabble_ when baby Kangaskhan dropped his half of the apple, causing Ray to _trip_ over the damn thing. Point to note: despite their small stature, young Kangaskhans could hit hard. _Very_ hard.

* * *

-Storm Guild-

On the surface, Guilds were built to house and train any Pokemon willing to stay to become Explorers or Rescuers. However, typical of the various Guilds, it had numerous defense mechanisms to protect the occupants within. The most basic of which was the very exterior of the Guild- the soaring rock walls had proved their worth many times over.

"Azura! Flare wants ya." a gravelly voice sounded from the aforementioned craggy walls. Poking a head out from behind a couple of boulders, Ocher, sentry of the Guild and resident Gigalith, cried out. He lumbered over with his usual heavy steps, crimson and deep-set eyes scanning us.

"You _know_ me by now Ochre, no need to check me out every single time. And Ray's a friend too. He's the Charmander Flare rescued yesterday." I rolled my eyes, a friendly grin on my face at the same time.

Ocher nodded. He had joined the Guild at around the same time as Tor, another sentry, or so they said. From what I could gather, Ochre was singled out and often tortured by his fellow tribe-mates due to the odd brown streaks in the crystals around his head and chest. Ultimately exiled, he was accepted by the Guild. Personally, I had absolutely no idea why his tribe exiled him. Easily the strongest warrior in the Guild, save for perhaps Flare, his expedition skills were likewise almost unparalleled and his steadfast nature made him a good ally, and a respected member of the Guild

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go in already! Don't wanna keep the damn Blaziken awaitin'!" Ochre gave the lagging Lizard Pokemon a friendly shove in the back with a foot which nearly sent him sprawling, while he dipped his head slightly at me, his version of a wink since he lacked eyelids.

* * *

Ray's POV

"Flare Sir!" Azura saluted, before relaxing and leaning against the heavy wooden double doors the Blaziken used for his study. Flare got up and stretched, turning as he did so. His bright blue eye glanced lazily, before focusing on Azura and I.

Coughing slightly, he started "Ahem. Welcome to the Guild, I hope your first day here was not too… tiring." From the corner of my eye, I saw Azura step forward and drum her fingers lightly on his desk.

"Flare, if you don't want your desk covered with rotten berry juice…" Flare eyed the Treecko warily.

"Azura, if you don't want your room incinerated by a careless flame…"

She grinned. "Touché. Why did you really call me over anyway?"

Flare cast a look of annoyance at her, before letting his cold cobalt eyes rest on both of us. "As I was saying before being so rudely interrupted, welcome to Storm Guild. I am Flare, Guild Master of this Guild. Ray, you were found yesterday after being attacked by Shades. As you have no doubt figured out for yourself already, Shades are not to be underestimated, and to be feared at all costs. Since I was the one who rescued you,"

Hearing this, I opened my mouth, attempting to argue with him, but was silenced by a cold glare. "I am considered to be responsible for you. However, since your life _is _your own choice, I shall leave you a few options on what to do now."

Hesitant in case the Guild Master wasn't done yet, I waited awhile, and finally talked after making sure Flare was done. "I'm kind of confused as to what's going on here. All I remember is landing in the middle of a field, Azura standing before me, and…" Ray gasped, "Me turning into a Pokemon!"

Flare looked on with a look on his face somewhere between amusement and disbelief. "_Turning_ into a Pokemon? Which means you were not one before, I presume?"

I lowered my head, a faint blush evident on my snout. I knew that no one would believe me. Wasn't it obvious from Azura's initial reaction that the pure notion of a transformation such as this was not going to be believed?

"A human." I muttered under my breath.

"Come again?" Flare raised an eyebrow, or at least what could be considered as an eyebrow if taken into regard he had feathers. I felt a faint stirring of anger, but repeated myself anyway.

"A human. I was a human before changing." I glared upwards,

So imagine my surprise when instead of making some sarcastic comment, or straight out laughing in my face (though admittedly both seemed a bit out of his character, or lack of one), the Blaziken simply nodded as if that was what he expected to hear.

"Back to my original question. You can either choose to stay here, or leave? If you choose to stay, you have to form a team with someone. If you leave, all I can say is that you would not last very long in this world. The land is dying, and Shades are the dreaded sickness which plagues the land. Venture far and all you will do will be to fall into the grasp of an everlasting nightmare."

I felt a curious sense of déjà vu. 'The land is dying'. Somehow that sentence struck me more than anything else that Flare had said. Out of the blue, I knew that I needed to stay here, in the Guild. It wasn't by chance that I landed so close to the town, or that the first person/ pokemon I met just _had_ to be a member of the Guild, or that she saved me from Shades, despite their reputation as being practically invincible.

"I'm staying" My eyes hardened, and I knew without a doubt this was what I had to do. Just as I said those words, I felt a splitting headache coming on. I could still hear what was going on around me, and I could still react, but everything seemed, _faded_.

"Hmm. The next logical step would be to find a team for you. Inferno is already full, I doubt Scythe would want an extra member so much weaker than them…" I twitched at the comment, but stayed silent. The Blaze pokemon's gaze fell casually on Azura.

"Hey Flare! Tell you what!" I turned, shocked by the sudden outburst from the Tree Gecko pokemon beside me, and momentarily distracted from the pain. She stepped forward, eyes blazing. "I'll form a team with Ray here. I've always needed a team, and like you said, the others are already full." I nearly fell from shock. _Azura_ wanted to form a team with me? Would wonders never cease? I chuckled softly, earning an elbow from Azura.

…_lp…_

**Who said that?**

_Pl…n…ed…nce…_

"Alright then. Azura, Ray, decide on your team name, and inform me on it tomorrow. The letter to the Rescue Team Federation will be sent tomorrow, and a reply will be received soon. As team members, you will be sleeping together. Dinner will be served in an hour at the mess hall."

**I really can't hear you clearly!**

…_ron…Mt…lp…_

I heard a soft groaning from beside me, but my mind had already stopped functioning. "I guess it's to be expected… But thank you Flare Sir. Oh, and Ray Hey Ray. Uh, Ray?" I flinched as a cool hand touched my shoulder. Nodding slightly at nothing in particular, I allowed myself to be shoved out of the study.

I had barely stepped out fully, before I crumpled to the ground, half grateful that I would no longer feel the pain, half regretful that I did not understand what the voice was saying.

"FLARE! TOR! It's Ray! Something's wrong!"

… …

* * *

-Somewhere in the sky-

_Thunder rumbled among the dark shroud of clouds, grumbling the dissatisfaction of the Sky Lord. Lightning shredded the space between the double layers of clouds, illuminating the dark air. Both sound and light came so fast that it was hard to tell which chased which._

_Flash!_

_Rain drops cold as ice fell from them, showering the ground beneath. But between the clouds, it seemed time had already stood still, and the suffocating blanket did not let even a glimpse of the earth beneath slip through, giving the denizens of the sky no way to check the pace of the clouds, nor the impatient speed of the gales._

_Rumble…_

_A lone figure could be seen in the heavy downpour, sleek feathers clinging to its skin, while rain drops rolled off the shining surface. In the brief moments of light, the feathers shone, almost as if they were made of steel, but the bright reflections would always fade into the shadows, only to be picked out again by another fork of white fire._

_Flash! Rumble…_

_The figure flew on, heedless of the storm. In its mind, it had only space for a single message, repeated over and over. To it, if time stood still, it would be a blessing, for it would mean that whatever message it had to convey would never arrive too late. Pity that the cold deluge counted out the seconds like a never ending clock, hammering at its heart._

_Rumble…_

* * *

**Alright! Fillers, I hate, so I chucked in a slight intro on the next chapter's contents! **

**Originally I wanted to add in the descriptions of each character, but I don't really have the format out. :P Instead, I'll give the character intros next time.**

**I still need OCs, mainly for the shopkeepers. Names, species and gender will suffice, unless you want to include other stuff. (personality etc.)**

**Uh, the ending was a bit awkward, but the next chappie will be much better. I swear.**


End file.
